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“We’re thrilled to be part of a historic event that returns boxing to its local roots,”
MINNEAPOLIS (PRWEB) March 15, 2018
The newly renovated Minneapolis Armory, a historic downtown gem with a deep and rich tradition in the fight game, returns to its boxing roots on Friday, April 13, with a nationally televised show featuring Minneapolis native and world-ranked welterweight contender Jamal “Shango” James, Warriors Boxing, TGB Promotions and Armory Entertainment said today.
James, who sports a dazzling 22-1 professional record, will take on Abel Ramos in a welterweight showdown. James returns to his home state after taking his show on the road in recent bouts.
It’s also a big homecoming for the Armory, which will host a professional boxing show for the first time in 45 years.
A hotbed of professional and amateur boxing from the 1930s to the 1970s, the Armory hosted scores of memorable fight cards featuring some of the sport’s top local, national and international talent.
“Boxing returns to the Armory with a lineup that includes some of today’s best up-and-coming talent. We’re thrilled to be part of a historic event that returns boxing to its local roots,” said Ned Abdul, president of Armory Entertainment.
“There’s no more fitting venue to host this great event than the newly renovated Minneapolis Armory, which has a rich boxing tradition.”
One of the local legends who boxed at the Armory was Glen Flanagan, a St. Paul native and member of the World Boxing Hall of Fame. In a 1956 bout at the Armory, Flanagan pleased his fans with a 10-round decision victory against Bobby Bickle. It was one of 84 victories for Flanagan in a professional career that spanned from 1946 to 1960.
Sugar Ray Robinson, arguably the greatest pound-for-pound boxer of all time, put on a show at the Armory in 1942. Even the great Joe Louis stepped through the ropes at the Armory in a 1937 exhibition bout.
Jeff Flanagan, Glen’s son and the president of the Minnesota Boxing Hall of Fame, recalls that Sugar Ray Leonard made a non-boxing appearance at the Amory in the 1970s. Leonard was in town to promote a “tournament of champions” for amateur boxers.
A former amateur boxer in his own right, Flanagan has fond memories of watching the Sweet Science at the Armory back in the day.
“It had a buzz. It was a fun atmosphere. The Golden Gloves were huge [at the Armory]. They packed them in. It was a great venue from what I can remember,” Flanagan said.
Come April 13, James and company promise to create a buzz for a new generation of fight fans.
The 10-round welterweight battle featuring James and Ramos headlines a huge night of action on Premier Boxing Champions on FS1 and FOX Deportes at the Armory.
James (22-1, 10 KOs) is coming off the biggest victory of his career – a knockout over tough veteran Diego Chaves on Dec. 15. The 29-year-old James joined unified 147-pound champion Keith Thurman as the only boxer to have knocked out the durable Argentine. It was James second straight victory since suffering the only loss of his career – a unanimous decision defeat to Yordenis Ugas on Aug. 12, 2016. James hasn’t fought in his hometown of Minneapolis since he scored a unanimous decision over Mohammed Kayongo in 2013.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to compete on this platform and to show the nation and the world that Minnesota has great fighters and an enthusiastic fan base for boxing,” said James. “Abel Ramos is a tough guy who will come to fight, but coming off the big win over Chaves, I'm in a position in my career where I'm trying to reach that world championship level. I have to continue to demonstrate the ability to perform under pressure in difficult fights. I know he's coming to pull off an upset, but that's not happening.”
Ramos (18-2-2, 13 KOs) will complete his move to the welterweight division by taking on James after making his welterweight debut with a stoppage of Emmanuel Robles last July. The 26-year-old out of Arizona has won three of his last four fights and his only pro defeats have come at the hands of top 140-pound contenders Regis Prograis and Ivan Baranchyk.
In the co-main event, rugged veteran Edner Cherry battles rising lightweight Dennis Galarza in a 10-round bout. The action continues with Austin Dulay and Chris Colbert clashing in an eight-round match between unbeaten super featherweight prospects that kicks off the broadcast at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Also appearing on the card is sensational 17-year-old 154-pound prospect Joey Spencer (1-0, 1 KO), a former No. 1 ranked amateur and nine-time national champion.
Attention members of the media – we can help make the coordinating and scheduling of interviews easy and hassle free. Contact publicist Robb Leer 612.701.0608.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Warriors Boxing and TGB Promotions, go on sale Tuesday, March 20th and will be available at http://www.Ticketmaster.com or by calling 800-745-3000.
The Minneapolis Armory is at 500 South 6th St. in Minneapolis. Its box office hours are Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. More information is at http://armorymn.com/.